NOTE:Maine Governor, Paul LePage, a Tea Party
darling, has been somewhat of a bastard during his term since he was elected in
2010.He has burnished his tough guy
image with such Trump-like tell-it-like-it-is non-politically correct
utterances such as remarking that immigrants were “lovely people, but you’ve
got to have an interpreter” or that OBAMA stands for “One Big Ass Mistake,
America” or the ever sympathetic “If you want a good education go to private
schools.If you can’t afford it, tough
luck.You can go to the public
school.”While Gov. LePage has consistently ruled
from the right wing pocket, the Maine state legislature currently has a
Democratic majority in the House while Republicans rule the state Senate. Recently both wings of the Maine legislature basically told LePage to shove it over his veto of a addiction related
bill. in a strong bi-partisan message. Rural, sparsely populated Maine
has a significant heroin problem among its 1.3 million residents.

Even those who’ve come
to expect the worst from Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) were taken aback two weeks
ago when he vetoed a bipartisan bill that would
have allowed pharmacists to dispense an effective anti-overdose drug without a
prescription. Making matters slightly worse was the Republican governor’s
explanation.

“Naloxone does not
truly save lives; it merely extends them until the next overdose,” LePage said in a written statement. As
we discussed at the time, the governor, in a
rather literal sense, made the case that those struggling with opioid addiction
don’t have lives worth saving.

Experts from the
health care and law enforcement communities hoped state lawmakers would
override LePage’s veto. Late last week, the Portland Press Heraldreported that the legislature did exactly
that.

Maine lawmakers voted
overwhelmingly Friday to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto and allow pharmacists
to dispense the drug overdose antidote naloxone without a prescription…. The
House voted 132-14 and the Senate voted 29-5 to override LePage.

Also known by the
brand name Narcan, naloxone works to quickly counteract the potentially deadly
symptoms of an overdose from heroin or other opiates.

It’s worth noting for
context that the Maine Senate has a Republican majority and the state House has
a Democratic majority, though in this case, that didn’t make much of a
difference.

As for the underlying
policy, if anyone needs a refresher, Naloxone – sometimes known by its
brand name, Narcan – is a safe and effective life-saving treatment that
counteracts overdoses. The point is not to cure someone of an addiction,
but rather, to prevent them from dying.

The treatment is
inexpensive; it’s easy to administer; and it’s harmless to others. Common sense
suggests it should be readily available, especially in areas where the addiction
crisis is especially acute.

LePage, however, said
he’s principally concerned with not “perpetuating the cycle of addiction.” If
that means more of his constituents will overdose and die, so be it.

The Portland
Press Heraldreported two weeks ago that the state
legislation was actually recommended by CVS, which received a letter from Sen.
Angus King (I-Maine), himself a former governor, “asking the chain to expand
the availability of the antidote. The bill got support from both law
enforcement and health organizations during the legislative hearing.”

And now the policy
will be state law, no thanks to Maine’s Tea Party governor.

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